Hydrokinetic energy converters on bridge structures

ABSTRACT

This is a low-cost, ingenious, high-efficiency energy producing system from hydrokinetic energy in water waves, currents and tides. Cost advantages are due to the use of existing bridge structures to mount the water energy converter to withstand fierce wind and water forces.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIMS TO PRIORITY

This is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority commonly assigned to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/429,375 filed on Mar. 24, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,459,020, issued Jun. 11, 2013, and application PCT/US2013/031334 filed on Mar. 14, 2013 filed through the USPTO, the receiving office,. The entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention substantially cuts the cost of HKEC systems because these systems may be retrofitted to existing bridge columns as well as to new bridge columns that support highway decks; the cost of the bridge structure may be fully absorbed by the cost of constructing the bridge. Consequently, the cost of this invention for generating electric energy from the HKEC system becomes substantially lower than what it would be without using the bridge structure; this invention will turn bridge columns into dual-use structures.

Therefore, this invention is a highly efficient HKEC system that extracts energy efficiently from waves, moving water and tidal flows.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior Art

Water in ocean, sea and rivers offer plenty of energy but the technology to harvest HKE energy from water is still in the experimental stages. Two of the problems facing HKEC systems are the cost and low efficiency of such systems.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/429,375 filed on Mar. 24, 2012, and now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,459,020, and application PCT/US2013/031334 teach the following about existing technologies for HKEC systems: they require expensive investment in civil and mechanical systems to retain these systems in boisterous water during severe weather. Therefore HKEC systems require prohibitively expensive civil and mechanical structures to retain them during storms.

Highways over water are built on extremely strong columns that are capable of withstanding fiercest wind and water forces. These columns serve as dual-use inexpensive mounts for innovative HKEC systems of this invention. Further, this invention overcomes the well-known inefficiencies and immaturity of the submerged wave and water-energy conversion technologies in existence today.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Bridge columns offer multiple opportunities to harvest wave and related energy from water under the bridge. Bridge-column-based HKEC systems include the following embodiments but are not limited to them. The inventions listed below are to be of the appropriate scale to prevent overloading of the bridge columns beyond their designed strength. The embodiments below can be mounted on bridge-supporting columns already in use (retrofitted) or designed in the future as part of new bridge structures over water.

Embodiment 1 (Repeated PCT Embodiment 2) Wave-Operated Pump Lifts Water to an Overhead Tank

A large float, which bobs up and down with the waves under a bridge, is attached to one or more rigid arms that are hinged at a high point in the bridge columns. The float or arms are connected to a reciprocating or rotary pump(s) to pump water up to fill water in a large overhead tank located just under the bridge deck. The elevated water in the tank is released through ducts to drive a water turbine(s) below to produce electric power. After driving the turbine, the spent water falls back into the body of water under the bridge. This embodiment could be used to pressurize air, gas or any fluid to drive turbines that turn electric generators.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FOR EMBODIMENT 1

FIG. 5: It is a perspective view--bobbing tubular float provides reciprocating motion to a piston in a pump cylinder that lifts water to a tank that hangs just under the highway deck on the top of the bridge columns. Float is connected to long arms hinged to two columns.

FIG. 6: It is a perspective of a water tank supported by bridge columns to hold water pumped up by the float-pump combination.

FIG. 7: Water from the tank is let down through a spout to drive a water turbine that turns water turbine-generator.

FIG. 7 a: This is a cross-sectional side view of the apparatus in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT 1

FIG. 5 shows two long arms 53 that are hinged at two bridge columns 51. A large cylindrical float 52, which floats on the water below the bridge, is attached to the ends of the hinged arms 53 allowing the cylindrical float to bob up and down with the waves. The arm 53 is hinged to a connecting rod 54 which is attached to a reciprocating piston 55 inside a cylinder 56. The location “a” of the connection rod 54 on the arm 53 may be varied to vary the stroke and power of the piston stroke. FIG. 5 shows the location of “a” on the arm 53 between the column and the float but “a” could be placed on an extension of arm 53 beyond the column 51 for appropriate leverage. The water enters at “IN”; it is pressurized in the pump and goes “OUT” to an overhead tank in FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 shows a large water tank to hold the water that is pumped up by the bobbing float in FIG. 5. Columns 61 hold the tank up; the tank sides are 62, and the bottom of the tank is 63. The water from the tank is allowed to fall from spout 64 to a water turbine-generator below.

FIG. 7 shows one embodiment of the water turbine 72, whose horizontal shaft 73 is supported by vertically sliding floats (not shown in FIG. 7) mounted on two bridge columns 71. The turbine has a plurality of blades 74. The turbine is turned by the water coming down by duct(s) 75 from the overhead tank in FIG. 6. The shaft 73 is supported above the waterline by floats (not shown in the figure) so that the shaft is held high enough for the turning turbine blades to clear the water surface.

FIG. 7 a is a side view of the apparatus showing overhead reservoir 78 with water duct allowing the directed flow of water to water turbine 79 kept above the waterline.

Embodiment 2 (Repeat PCT Embodiment 3) Wave-Operated Rack and Pinion Drives an Electric Generator

In this embodiment, the vertical movement of the wave is translated to a linear motion of a geared rack, which drives a pinion attached to an electric generator. The generator shaft has a flywheel to smooth the ensuing rotary motion and power of the generator because the power flowing from the vertical up and down motion of the wave is cyclical, not constant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FOR EMBODIMENT 2

FIG. 8: shows a cylindrical float 82 surrounding a cylindrical bridge column 81 that transfers vertical motion of the wave to a pinion 84 that turns an electric generator.

FIG. 9: shows a cylindrical float at the ends of arms hinged to bridge columns 91 that transfers vertical motion of the wave to a geared rack that turns a pinion 95 attached to an electric generator.

FIG. 10: shows a cylindrical float at the ends of arms hinged to bridge columns 101 that transfers magnified vertical motion of the wave to a geared rack at the extension of the arm; the vertical motion of the rack turns a pinion attached to an electric generator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT 2

FIG. 8 shows bridge column 81 on which slides a cylindrical float 82 with an attached vertical geared rack 83. Float 82 rests on the water and bobs up and down with the waves causing the rack 83 to move up and down. Pinion 84 is rotated by the rack 83 by its linear motion. Pinion 84 rotates an electric generator.

FIG. 9 shows two bridge columns 91 that have two hinged arms 92 with a large float 93 attached to their ends. Float 93 rests on the surface of water. Waves move the float up and down. The vertical movement of the float is transferred to the vertical geared rack 94 which rotates a pinion 95 attached to an electric generator shaft.

FIG. 10 shows two bridge columns 101 support a float 104 at the end of arms 102 and 103. Arm 103 is longer than arm 102, where the segment “b” of the arm 103 may be made longer than segment “a” to magnify the vertical movement of the float. The vertical motion of the arm is transferred to a geared rack 105 which rotates a pinion 106 attached to an electric generator shaft.

Embodiment 3 (Repeat PCT Embodiment 4) Floating Horizontal-Axis Water Turbine-Generator (HAWT-Generator)

In this embodiment, an horizontal-axis water turbine-generator (HAWT-generator) is turned by flowing water impinging on the turbine blades below the center line of the turbine. The turbine is floated so that only the turbine blades below the center line of the turbine are submerged below the water line. The water turbine turns an electric generator integral with the turbine's axis or the generator may be driven by a gear system powered by the water turbine. The electricity generated is fed to the grid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FOR EMBODIMENT 3

FIG. 11: Shows two bridge columns that support a horizontal-axis water turbine-generator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT 3

In FIG. 11, horizontal-axis turbine-generator may have a plurality of blades 114. In the embodiment shown, an electric generator is built into the axis of the HAWT. The submerged turbine blades under the waterline are turned by the flowing water to produce electricity through the electric generator. Floats 113 that slide up and down the two bridge columns 112 support the ends of the shaft 115 of the HAWT-generator above the water so that only the blades below the turbine axis are submerged in the water to be rotated by water energy. 

1. A system for converting wave and water energy comprising: a. a bridge including at least one support column disposed in a body of water; b. a float at least partially above the surface of the water and including a central passage slidably receiving the column; and c. a turbine-generator supported on an upper surface of the float, and comprising; i. a stator including a central passage slidably connects to the column; ii. a rotor including a central passage, the stator positioned inside the rotor; iii. a plurality of rigid arms circumferentially spaced on an outside surface of the rotor; and iv. a blade connected to each of the rigid arms, the rigid arms extending the blades below the surface of the water.
 2. The system of converting wave and water energy of claim 1, further comprising a. a flow diverter on the Upstream side of the turbine-generator to block the current and waves and minimize water resistance on the blades rotating in an upstream direction.
 3. The system for converting wave and water energy of claim 1, further comprising: a. a large opening on the surface of each blade to allow water to flow through without resistance; and b. hinged flaps closing the openings to prevent water from flowing through the blade, wherein water flows through the openings when the blades rotate upstream and the flaps close when the blades rotate downstream.
 4. The system for converting wave and water energy of claim 1, further comprising: solid, flapless blades that are hinged to the rigid arms to fold against the flow of water when the blades rotate upstream, and radially extend to resist the flow of water when the blades rotate downstream.
 5. The system for converting wave and water energy comprising; a. bridge including at least two support columns disposed in a body of water; b. at least two floats, each float at least partially above the surface of the water and including a central passage, each central passage slidably receiving one of the columns; c. at least two turbine-generators, each turbine-generator supported on an upper surface of each of the floats, and each turbine-generator comprising; i. a stator including a central passage; ii. a rotor including a central passage, the stator positioned inside the rotor; and iii. a plurality of gear teeth placed on an outside surface of the rotor; and iv. an endless belt including a plurality of gear teeth on the inside surface of the belt engaging with each of the rotor's gear teeth, and a plurality of blades on the outside surface of the belt extending below the surface of the water, wherein the central passage of the stator slidably connects to the column.
 6. A system of converting wave and water energy comprising; a. a bridge including at least one support column disposed in a body of water; b. a float at least partially above the surface of the water and including a central passage slidably and rotatably receiving the column; c. a plurality of rigid arms circumstantially spaced on the outside surface of the float; d. a blade connected to each of the rigid arms, the rigid arms extending the blades below the surface of the water; e. an external gear on the outer circumference of the rotating float; and f. an electric generator engaged with the external gear.
 7. A system for converting wave and water current energy comprising; a. a bridge including two or more columns disposed in a body of water; b. the bridge deck held up by bridge columns sufficiently high above the body of water; c. a large water storage tank suspended or held up close to the bridge deck and supported by two or more bridge columns; d. water pumped to the storage tank by wave or current energy using any known pumping method; e. stored water from the storage tank is drawn down to turn a water turbine-generator to produce electricity as needed; f. the water turbine-generator is placed as far below the tank as possible to maximize water head; g. the water turbine-generator may be rigidly mounted on a semi-submerged float on the body of water; and h. a float with a slidable central passage that takes a vertical bridge column.
 8. A system for converting water current energy comprising; a. one or more wave-energy-capturing floats attached to one or more levers hinged to a bridge supporting column; b. the lever may be hinged to one or more semi-submerged floats sliding on one or more bridge columns; c. one or more vertically moving gears or gear racks attached to the wave-energy-capturing floats or the levers attached to these floats; d. vertically moving gears turn pinions; and e. the pinions turn electric generators.
 9. A system for converting water current energy comprising; a. a bridge including at least two columns disposed in a body of water; b. a float with a slidable central passage that takes a vertical bridge column, with one float per column; c. each end of an horizontal-axis turbine-generator supported by the slidable floats; d. the floats keep the upper part of the turbine-generator above the water so that only the turbine blades below the center line of the turbine-generator are submerged under the water line to capture the energy from waves, currents and tidal flow; and e. a water turbine with a central passage that houses an electric generator turned by the water turbine surrounding it. 